Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

It was AMAZING!!!!!!!! Past Review

By (Marketing And International Business, University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) - abroad from 02/14/2012 to 06/25/2012 with

University of Wollongong: Wollongong - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned so much while I was in Australia! It was worth every penny!

Review Photos

University of Wollongong: Wollongong - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo University of Wollongong: Wollongong - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo University of Wollongong: Wollongong - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The unfortunate part about going to the University of Wollongong was the fact that it is a very prestigious school and the classes can be very difficult if you end up with the wrong professors, which for a number of my classes I did. Make sure you don't take too many difficult classes at once because getting use to the schooling in Australia, along with the tough classes, makes the experience that much worse!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Amazing people and the orientation in Cairns, Australia was fabulous!!!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

This experience was absolutely fabulous for me and all of the other American friends that I met in Wollongong! I stayed in a housing unit called "Keiraview". At first I didn't know if I would like where I was living because it wasn't as nice as some of the other places to live, but it turns out that it was the best place I could have asked for! Each individual has their own room and bathroom in Keiraview and you share a kitchen with 7 others on your floor. It was great having my own room and bathroom because all I had to worry about was my own mess and I didn't have to wait to use the bathroom! I met so many wonderful people living in Keiraview because they make sure that many activities are planned for meeting and visiting with other individuals! A few other nice things about living in Keiraview were that it was located within walking distance from all of the shopping, dance clubs and beaches! It also has a uni bus that stops directly outside of Keiraview, which is not true for most of the other living units. I loved every aspect of my stay in Wollongong! Definitely a fantastic choice!

* Food:

Making food at Keiraview was nice because you could eat whatever you wanted, instead of it being planned for you! If you didn't want to make your own food, Keiraview was located by all of the restaurants you could possibly want to eat at!!!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Everyone is friendly! It is so easy to meet people anywhere you go!

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had a bad stomach problem on evening and it took so long for the people to help me at the hospital! I was sitting there for 3 hours and still didn't receive help, so I left because I decided it was better to sleep than wait any longer!

* Safety:

I always felt safe in Wollongong!!!

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Things are way more expensive in Australia than in America, so you just have to know and understand that before you go and not worry about it as much as you normally would. You WILL end up spending more than you thought you would, but it is all worth it in the end!!

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Depended on what I decided to do that week aka travel or stay in Wollongong.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Drink goon aka boxed wine as your alcohol...you won't be able to afford your typical drinks in Australia! You will understand what I am saying when you see their prices!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 10+

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The people I met.
  • The place I lived: Keiraview/Wollongong in general.
  • The experiences I had.
* What could be improved?
  • The schooling.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How much money I would have to spend.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.